The away end taunted: "Champions League? You're having a laugh!" Stuart Armstrong had just put bottom of the table Southampton 1-0 up against Newcastle United before half-time at St James' Park. That was not in the script.
How would off-colour Newcastle respond to this latest test of their top four credentials? Quite emphatically as it goes. By full-time, Newcastle were celebrating a 3-1 win after substitute Callum Wilson inspired a second-half turnaround with a strike either side of Theo Walcott's own goal as the Magpies stayed nine points clear of Liverpool in third place with just five games to go.
It was a comeback masterminded away from the cameras in the home dressing room at the break. Something clearly had to change following a flat opening 45 minutes on Sunday and Eddie Howe was the first to recognise that 'our body language was not what we needed to be on the pitch'. A 'few things needed to be said' at half-time to 'try to change how we saw the challenge'. However, rather than dwelling on the negatives, it was all about trying to 'win a different way'. Newcastle duly did that. As Wilson put it: "It was mindset more than anything....second half we blew them away."
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It was Wilson who equalised in the 54th minute, changing the feel in the ground in an instant. There was only ever going to be one winner from that moment as Newcastle attacked down the hill against the Premier League's basement boys. Newcastle duly took the lead in the 79th minute, after Walcott diverted Sven Botman's header into his own net, before Wilson sealed the win late on with another poacher's finish.
Howe's decision to introduce his top scorer at the break paid dividends after the Newcastle boss ruthlessly substituted Anthony Gordon, who was making his full home debut following a three-month wait. However, just as Wilson did not sulk after being rotated, tellingly, there was no repeat of the strop that made the headlines when Gordon was subbed at Brentford last month. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“His reaction to being taken off was very good - if there can be a very good reaction to it," Howe told reporters. "Obviously, internally, I suspect, he was very disappointed, but he didn't let that show. There was no outward sign of a negative reaction to that, which you need in that situation.
“I've done it plenty of times this season and will continue to do it. I have to take players off early if I'm not seeing what I want from the team. I did it at Brentford, where we made two very early subs at half-time, and the two players then reacted in the same way.
“I think there's an understanding now with five substitutes. I will continue to act early, but it's not always a reflection of the performance of the player."
Gordon certainly saw it that way and it was noticeable how the winger, who had long since changed into his tracksuit, joined his team-mates on the victory lap after the game. That team-first mentality has been at the heart of Newcastle's rise this season and this felt like the latest example of it as Newcastle edged ever closer to realising their Champions League dream.
To face Real Madrid et al, of course, you first have to dispatch teams like Southampton and Newcastle had to guard against complacency on Sunday following comfortable back-to-back wins against Spurs and Everton. Although Southampton had failed to win any of their previous eight games under Ruben Selles, the Saints gave title-chasing Arsenal a bloody nose in a thrilling 3-3 draw little more than a week ago at the Emirates.
Among those watching on from afar that night was Eddie Howe, who predicted this would be a 'difficult game'. Joelinton, echoing his manager's words, stressed: "We need to start well and give everything because no game in this league is easy'.
That was going to be easier said than done in Newcastle's third game in a demanding week. However, while Sean Longstaff was ruled out with a foot injury, Howe was able to freshen up his side once again as Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon were recalled. Gordon soon had the chance to mark his full home debut with a goal.
There were 19 minutes on the clock when Isak slipped Gordon in one-on-one with a smart through ball, but the mid-season signing fired the ball off the outside of the post. It was as close as Newcastle came to opening the scoring in a half where the Magpies failed to make Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy work - and the Saints punished the hosts in the 41st minute.
Romeo Lavia dispossessed Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the park and the ball eventually came to Kamaldeen Sulemana down the right, whose low cross picked out Stuart Armstrong to volley home and silence St James'. Newcastle players looked stunned as they trudged off at half-time.
Howe turned to his bench at the break, replacing Gordon with Wilson, and the change soon had the desired effect. In truth, Newcastle were a different side as the noise levels rose inside St James'.
Trippier's free-kick caused chaos in the Southampton box in the 53rd minute and McCarthy managed to keep out Sven Botman's effort from point-blank range before Wilson's follow-up was scrambled away. Newcastle were getting closer and the hosts equalised just a minute later.
This time, Isak, shifted out to the left, drilled the ball into the box and there was Wilson to stab home first-time to take the roof off St James'. Rather than celebrate, Wilson led his team-mates back to their own half for the restart as they immediately went in search of a second.
It was one-way traffic thereafter and Willock had an effort held by McCarthy midway through the second half before Wilson's header was tipped over by the Southampton goalkeeper just a few minutes later. The elusive Wilson was causing Southampton's defenders real problems and the striker had the ball in the back of the net in the 73rd minute only for the goal to be disallowed for offside following a VAR check.
However, Newcastle were soon in front just a few minutes later when Kieran Trippier's corner was flicked on by Sven Botman and deflected into the net by Southampton substitute Theo Walcott. This time it counted - but Newcastle were not finished yet.
Eighty-one minutes had been played when Nick Pope launched the ball forward and Ainsley Maitland-Niles failed to deal with the punt under pressure from former team-mate Joe Willock. The predatory Wilson arrived on the scene and calmly rounded McCarthy to put Newcastle 3-1 up - and seal a huge three points.
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